Date stamped on back of photo: April 3, 1947. Transcribed from attached press release: "HUGHES FLIES DUPLICATE OF CRASH PLANE CULVER CITY, Calif., April 5 -- Howard Hughes, famed flier-industrialist, today test-piloted the plane pictured here, a duplicate of the XF-11 photo-reconnaissance ship which he nearly lost his life in an accident last July 7. He designed and built the plane for the Army Air forces in conjunction with the Air Materiel Command engineers. He has recovered from the injuries sustained last year when the freak propeller trouble dashed the original XF-11 to earth. As usual, he today took personal responsibility for the first test flight of the new plane." The actual flying date is April 4, 1947.
Materials contain photographs of the Hughes XF-11 prototype military reconnaissance aircraft from 1946 to 1947. The photographs depict Howard Hughes piloting the two XF-11 prototypes that were built: during the test flight in July 1946, Hughes crashed the first XF-11 in Beverly Hills, California; in April 1947, Hughes successfully flew the second prototype at high speeds and at high altitudes. However, the United States Air Force abandoned the controversial project, and in August of 1947, Hughes was called to testify before the Truman Committee in the U.S. Senate about the failures of the program.
Archival Collection
Howard Hughes Public Relations Photograph Collection
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Collection Number: PH-00373 Collection Name: Howard Hughes Public Relations Photograph Collection Box/Folder: N/A